Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-03-10


The failure Of the General Deficiency
bill and the orippling Of the public SER
vice which u entails NAV cause the poo
pie 10 ask Of each other Why there
should be any necessity for such q bill.
OF course, miscalcnlalions and nnex-
peoted expenses are always liable 10
make the expenditures Of the Govern
meat greater than the appropriations
which have been provided. and def.
cheney appropriation Of some sort will
be necessary every year. Bat Why
should an appro sriation Of forty million
dollars be requiredf And Why should
the failure Of deficiency appropriation
bill affect almost every branch Of the
public ssrvioel These questions are
highly pertinent.
The necessity for the passage Of such
q general deficiency bin as that which
failed IN the last Congress Is due 10 the
reprehenslble practice Of pairing down
the estimates Submitted by the heads Of
the departments to figure totally in-
adequase for the requirements OF the
public service. when The Secretary Of
the Navy, for instance, or the Post
master General submits 10 Congress his
annual estimate OF the amount Of money
which will be needed 20 properly con-
duct his department during the ensning
year, the work Of pairing down Al once
begins. The committees having charge
Of The appropriation bills scrutiaizs the
estimate carefully and critically. Items
are struck out. Only half Of the ameunt
required for this purpose. and two
thirds Of The amount required for thai
one, IL allowed. The cutting 40 "a pFan-
Ing process is applied 10 the estimate,
and after THAI comes the sqes zins pro
cess by which the entire appropriation
is cut down TO suit the fancy Of the false
economists in Congress- The Fesalt IL
that II the appropriation finally made
is twothirds as large a. the estimate
submitted to Congress. the department
which receives u considers issalf forsan.
ate.
This pracsioe ls entirely wrong. II Is
due TO desire on the part 81 Congress
10 make the appropriations - ANAL a.
possible In order that the members may
claim credit for their economy, and too
often the people fail 10 see hou False
that claim IL. II is only fair 10 sup
pose that those 10 charge Of the execn.
tive departments OF the government are
a. thoroughly imbued with she spirit Of
economy ~ are the members o. Con
eEees. IL Is 30 their interest 10 have the
expenditures Of the governments As
small - possible, and vheR they sub
nit an sstiSaAte Of the amount neces-
sary for The several departments for the
ensuing year, that estimate Is usually
reasonably low. IL is based. az least.
UPON exact and lahoriaus calculations
and the amount allowed for unforeseen
contingencies Is as small as il Is cafe 10
make H. The puelio interests wuald in
nine cases cut Of ten be best sahssryed
BY the appropriation Of the full ansant
requested. wsen she estimates arr 70
vtsed, pared down and cut IN hAlf hy
men who posses no exsct knowledge OF
the subject Silh which they are dealins,
the pahlie service is alness invariably
crippled and rendered ia, ffieiens.
OF course, the heads Of sae var,oas
departments enaeayoE 20 ees alone with
The inadequate anoants seiea haw,
been appropriated Tor their ase. Nv
the observance % strict ecsnouav. aas
often BY making the ssFyice which tAav
render tseoHaplese and unsAiisfAetefv.
they sometimes saeeced. More sstsn.
however. they fail. and when Cossrsss
again meets u Il necessAry 70 Aepra.
pirate larEs auo0nis - sapply he De.
nciene.es left BY iaaasqnAta sppsoryss.
tlcus - she pFeyioas session. What
economy there y in ssttlaS down tie
appropriations far bslsw The nseessarv
amount and shas iaiarine sAe pahlis